MILAN, Italy (ESPNSoccernet.com news services) -- Marco Materazzi acknowledged he insulted
Zinedine Zidane before the French captain head-butted him in the
World Cup final, but repeated his denial that he called Zidane a
"terrorist."

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"I did insult him, it's true," Materazzi said in Tuesday's
Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I categorically did not call him a
terrorist. I'm not cultured and I don't even know what an Islamic
terrorist is."

A Paris-based anti-racism group issued a statement Monday saying
Materazzi had called Zidane, whose parents emigrated to France from
Algeria, a "dirty terrorist."

FIFA announced Tuesday it would open a disciplinary
investigation into the circumstances of Zidane's head butt.

"FIFA will open a disciplinary investigation into Zidane's
conduct to enable it to clarify the circumstances surrounding
the incident as exactly as possible," world soccer's governing
body said in a statement.

Zidane and Materazzi exchanged words in extra-time of Sunday's
final in Berlin. Seconds later, Zidane lowered his head and rammed
Materazzi in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Zidane was
ejected from the match.

"I held his shirt for a few seconds only, then he turned round
and spoke to me, sneering," the Italian defender told the
newspaper. "He looked me up and down, arrogantly and said: 'If you
really want my shirt, I'll give it to you afterwards.'"

The 32-year-old Inter Milan player did not elaborate on exactly
what he said to Zidane.

"It was one of those insults you're told tens of times and that
always fly around the pitch," he said.